DogmaDog

Delmont, The locking paddle looks good. Do you think it is substantially better than the Speed Slide (also from Comp-tac), or just their regular paddle? It looks like those punched out teeth on the back of the paddle would grip your trousers just fine, and the locking tabs in the picture on their site don't look like they actually prevent the holster from rocking back and forth. Anyway, I want one of those holsters, but I'd like to save $20 if the locking paddle isn't miles ahead of the others. Thanks, Dogmadog

Well, OK...Hello! My first shot ever from a real-live-gun was an M16A2 issued at boot camp. I enjoyed shooting a lot in the Corps, and made my way onto the Marine Rifle Team eventually, and spent the best summer of my life shooting at Quantico and Camp Perry. Got into action pistol because highpower rifle is logistically intensive (how many of you have a 600 yard range nearby??) Shot my first IDPA match in 1998 in San Diego with my Kimber Gold Match in .45. Took a hiatus when I left the Corps and came to Indiana for graduate school, and started back up again shooting IPSC and IDPA at ranges near Bloomington, IN. Still shooting my Kimber, and sometimes my Kahr P-9 carry gun in IDPA. Shooting a pistol is kinda strange...I'm certified as a master in highpower rifle and long range highpower...no problem putting rounds in the black at 1000 yards using iron sights, but at my first IDPA classifier last month I shot a marksman score, just about 1 second away from sharpshooter. Been dry firing about 3 nights a week lately, and shooting only at matches (closest range I know of is over an hour away) once or twice a month. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

I hope this doesn't get lost in the sauce, but: Along with many suggestions already posted, I'd like to see: Courses of fire for different action shooting sports, with discussions about how to play them most effectively, or how they actually were played at major matches. Real technical information...I don't know how to take apart my 1911 further than field stripping. I could learn how to troubleshoot an extractor problem...write an article about it. Also, get someone to write who had a high school level education in physics! I cringe every time I see "energy" referred to when "momentum" is what's being described. Same thing for reloading. I currently don't do it (no time as a graduate student), and learning how is daunting, given all the variables...articles discussing, say, powder burn rate, or seating depth as considerations for reloading would be cool. Maybe what I'd really like is more like a scholarly journal of shooting, rather than a "magazine"! Semper Fi, DogmaDog

The best thing in American Handgunner is the Gun Rights column by Jeff Snyder, which you can read (mostly) on his website (www.nationofcowards.net). I've never seen a gun magazine that wrote anything about technique beyond the really trivial aspects ("slice the pie" or "release the trigger just enough to reset, and then begin your second shot"). Reading AH is sort of like surfing the internet, except you can do it in bed, and there are no porn links. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Gents, I'll have to try experimenting with that. I also grew up in the military school of marksmanship, where you just shot the weapon they issued you, and didn't have a choice about the trigger or sights or anything. I'm still overwhelmed by all the possibilities (and certainly by the COST of all the possibilities!). I don't find that my finger placement is especially problematic...I do jerk a shot once in a while, but usually I miss because I'm trying to shoot faster than I'm capable...it's more of a "trigger discipline" problem than a "trigger control" problem. I've also heard arguments that you get more mechanical advantage the further down from the fingertip you touch the trigger, so less force required, and hence less tendency to move the sights, pulling with the 2nd digit, even! Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Philadelphia, "Are there any other shooters out there like me who never intend on shooting Limited or Open ?" Yes. They are called IDPA Shooters. But seriously, who really cares? Go shoot and have a good time and develop your skills. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Todd Muchow, Which Comp-Tac do you have? Would you mind giving a short review (what's really good about it, what's not so good)? Thanks, Dogmadog

Paul W, One thing you can do is start to do a tactical reload on the move...hold the gun strong hand only and retrieve a fresh magazine...then you're ready to swap mags as soon as you reach cover. As soon as you finish engaging targets, but you're still on the move, don't wait to start the tac reload until you reach cover...there's no rule that says you have to maintain 2 hands on the gun, afterall! Semper Fi, DogmaDog

You have a coach? Lucky. Focus on accuracy when shooting at the range...that's what you'll get the most feedback for when looking at your target. A lot of your speed can be developed during dry fire practice at home...draws, reloads, target transitions...practice them slow to make the techniques smooth and efficient, and then gradually increase your pace. The places I've seen most shooters lose the most time in IDPA are by getting poor hits (or misses), and through poor gun handling...slow reloads, slow to perform immediate action when they fail to seat the magazine after their slow reload, slow to transition from shooting to moving, and from moving to shooting, slow on the draw, not running. These guys have no problem firing two shots in 1/2 second...it's not blazing fast, but if you can score two -0 hits in 1/2 sec every time, that's 45 secs of shooting...leaving more than 45 secs for moving and drawing and reloading, in order to make master (if you get all -0 hits). Its an over simplified breakdown (obviously you shoot faster up close, and slower at distance), but it illustrates that your time is about equally spent not shooting as it is shooting, and if you can speed up the not-shooting actions you can really improve your score without even trying to retain or improve accuracy at faster speeds! Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Flex, I've been eying the bar-dot type of sights. My Kahr P-9 comes with stock bar-dot, and I've been considering the Heinie Slant Pro sights with the "straight eight" (2 dots, vertically aligned...similar to bar dot) for both my Kahr and my Kimber. The stock sights seem to work pretty well on my Kahr, though. Seems like I could use narrower front sights, though...My Kimber has a 0.110 and a 0.114 rear notch, and my Kahr has a fat 0.142 front with a 0.152 rear notch. I think I'd like some more light in both sights. Thanks for the comments and opinions, everyone. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Kinda late, but I hope this gets read. I was trained in the "slow, steady squeeze" school of trigger control. But what I've found is that I have to modify the placement of my trigger finger on the trigger to achieve a straight-to-the-rear pull. If I put the very tip of my finger on the trigger, the sights jerk right when the shot breaks. When I pull with the base of my first digit (right before the first crease in my finger), the jerk goes away. Pretty easy fix, but a lot of self-proclaimed pistol gurus out there say you MUST pull with the very tip of your finger. Usually just laying your finger across the trigger as it natrually wants to rest is a better first aproximation, and you can modify from there. And really, all marksmanship comes down to: "align the sights on the target, and then pull the trigger without disturbing the alignment of the sights" now on to the next chapter. (paraphrased from Glenn Zediker, "The Competetive AR-15") Semper Fi, DogmaDog

I really liked "The Zen Way to the Martial Arts" by Taisen Deshimaru and "The Book of Five Rings" by Miyamato Musashi. Musashi describes related concepts: Attitude/No attitude, Thought/No thought. In action shooting, this is like shooting when the sights are aligned on the target, without any intention to shoot, or any conscious analysis of the state of the sights or their relation to the target. All there is is the relation of the sights and the target, and when that relation is a certain way, the gun goes off. Instead of what I usually do: look at the sights, analyze their relation to the target, determine whether it is correct or not, squeeze the trigger, and BLAM! Yeah, how do you get that autonomous trigger finger to just shoot the gun when the sights are "right"??? Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Hmmm...saw one somewhere: "Zen tacos--the one taco to have when you're having more than not two" But I digress. "Nothing must be understood" could either mean that there is no thing that requires understanding, or it could mean that you must understand nothing(ness)...or both...or neither. I've understood this for a few instants while shooting in highpower rifle matches. I haven't yet been carried into that state by a pistol, but I'm trying. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

I have only one question on this topic. It seems obvious to me that course designers designing a stage beginning with a less than full gun is fine, but that competitors starting with less than a full mag in order to gain competetive advantage is not. But, what about guns with different capacity magazines? I have some 7 round and some 8 round mags for my 1911...can I use both? What about my Kahr P-9...only holds 7 in the mag, but its an SSP...the mandatory 11 round start just CAN'T happen. So am I not allowed to shoot the P-9 (the K-9 is listed as allowed)? It might be possible, but I don't think the rulebook will ever be comprehensive enough to cover every possible situation or eliminate all ambiguity. That's where SOs and MDs come in...to make judgement calls and use discretion when applying and enforcing the rules. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

I use a Wilson Adjuster paddle holster for my Kimber, and it works just fine. There is a little wheel that rolls against the dust cover, and it has worn a little silver track on my pistol, and there is slight wear on various edges on the slide as well with this lined holster. So you're gonna get holster wear regardless...it's just a matter of how quickly it happens. Comp-tac's kydex holsters look really good to me. http://www.comp-tac.com Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Per IDPA rules: "A maximum of two (2) spare magazines carried in 2 single pouches or 1 double pouch or three (3) speedloaders may be worn at any time. One additional magazine may be carried on the person for “charging” purposes only. " (www.idpa.com) I have seen people at club matches with more in their pockets...and it might be worthwhile on some of the "skills" stages with lots of strings, but 4 should suffice. I don't use kydex...but I'm told it is "faster"...and I'm not the quickest draw on the course I would guess 9mm has the edge in SSP and ESP divisions, just because of the low power factor. If you were to download .40 (say) to 125 (it is 125, right?), I guess it wouldn't make a difference. At local club matches, I shoot my Kimber Gold Match (Kimbers are popular in CDP), and I've shot my Kahr P-9 (which I actually carry), which wasn't as big a handicap as I had expected (finished middle of the pack among full sized glocks and the odd Sig, Beretta, and HK. Oh yeah, Glocks are REALLY popular in SSP...I'll prolly have to get a glock before I figure out if there's anything to it or not. Things to practice (at home, dry fire): 1) Draws! A lot! With turns, and with a cover garment. 2) Tactical reloads (practice pulling the spare mag while moving, and wait to drop the mag in the gun until you reach cover) Getting the (almost) empty mag into your pocket is really hard to do when you just WANT to get back on the gun! 3) Covered shooting positions...kneeling and leaning around something. For live fire practice, any of the sorts of strings in the IDPA classifier would be good.

Hey all, I'm considering replacing sights on my Kimber Gold Match (see my thread on technical stock gun questions for why). What do you think is best and why? Also, does anyone use or know of anyone who uses one of the less-conventional-but-still-allowed kinds of sights, like the Ashley Express or Novak's half ghost ring sights? How about fiber optic front sights (I've seen them at club matches...are they even technically allowed?) What about tritium night sights (obviously not a benefit during the day, but are they a setback relative to plain black or white dot sights? Thanks for your opinions and insights, DogmaDog

Hey, I've been considering the PACT, but I want to know about the upgradeable software aspect...is there some kind of interface on the timer for a computer? Is it IR or a cable jack or what? Can you upload shot strings to a computer? Thanks, Dogmadog

Let's see...I suppose I should consider whether I actually shoot at a set tempo, or whether it just seems like it (a timer might help with that one, eh?). I'm aware of my sights when I shoot. They're either aligned acceptably or they're not when the shot breaks. Since it doesn't always break when the sights are aligned I believe I am not "shooting the sights" as you say. But maybe I am, and I just don't get it right some times...hard to say what actually forces the trigger back, because it's not an action at the forefront of my consciousness when it happens. So a timer could help me determine what I actually DO during live fire, but its value in dry fire training may not be so great. Oh, and of course, the REAL reason I want to buy a timer is because I just want to buy SOMETHING gun related (you know, that "itch"), and a timer is something I don't have, and would be of actual utility, whereas an AK-47, or a Beretta Elite II really don't do anything that my AR-15 and Kimber 1911 don't already do. And a timer is cheaper. Possibly, a timer would motivate me to dry fire more, too, and that might be its greatest value. Grrrrr, DogmaDog

Of course, 2 lbs is a bit light for a carry weapon, and that's what we shoot in IDPA, right? 4 to 4.5 lbs is more like a suitable carry trigger wt. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Thanks for the replies, guys, For those with a MK IV, the ads for it on this website say you can update the software. Does that mean it can interface with a PC? By cable? IR? Can you also upload shooting data to a computer from it? If not, how would you put new software in it? And, to keep this training oriented, rather than equipment oriented, I agree that setting a par time can potentially limit your progress, but I also think there are rhythms in every shooting action, and that par times can help you develop and solidify those rhythms. Right now, I shoot at a fairly constant cadence, and my performance is dependent on how well my sights line up in the intervals between shots. I could attempt to learn to break my cadence and shoot when the sights align, but I think it would be easier to learn to align the sights more reliably and quickly, because learning any arhythmic motion is just too difficult. Cryptic enough? Semper Fi, DogmaDog

Somewhat problematic to have 3 gun matches in the International Defensive PISTOL Association, but I'll bite: In the spirit of IDPA, any weapon of genuine "tactical" utility (whatever that means) should be allowed...a pistol caliber carbine is potentially a good house or ranch gun for self defense, so allow it. I also think that rules should be fairly relaxed at the club level, especially when trying to generate interest in the events you're holding, and to experiment with developing the rules IDPA doesn't yet have. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

I've shot IDPA using an IWB rig. It's not much different than a regular belt holster. That said, there is ABSOLUTELY no precedent or rule in IDPA that mandates an IWB holster! I've been to matches requiring a cover garment, and you could rule that the entire holster must be covered by it, but there's no reason to mandate an IWB holster. Semper Fi, DogmaDog

I think I should figure out how to use my computer as a timer...the drag racing site gave my times to over 10 decimal places! DD

Being an (almost) 12 year veteran of the Marine Corps, I'd have to say that IDPA and IPSC are every bit as good as any live fire "training" I've received from uncle Sam. Training is much more in your attitude toward an activity than it is in the activity itself..."what aspect of this can I take with me and apply under other circumstances?" is the question you should ask yourself. A story may illustrate: Marines at the barracks in Beirut were taken under fire by men armed with assault rifles. The Marines were green, and didn't recognize the sound of bullets whizzing by and impacting the building..."what's that weird noise?" Their lieutenant recognized the sound and got his Marines to taking cover and shooting back and all that good stuff. What the Lt had done that his troops had not was to consider all of his activities in terms of their potential training value. When he was qualifying on the rifle range, and pulling targets in the pits, he imagined that he was being shot at (even though he was safe behind the berm), and he paid attention to the sounds and sensations, and extrapolated that experience to the "real world" in Beirut. Everything is training, but no training is perfect. Semper Fi, DogmaDog